Until King Charles III of Spain died in 1788, this Borbón offspring was compelled not to use the family name and since 1785 when his father Luis, the king's brother, died, they had to move to the city of Toledo to be educated under the protection of the Archbishop of Toledo Francisco Antonio de Lorenzana y Butrón (León, 22 September 1722 – Rome, 17 April 1804, aged 82), notorious cardinal, historian and "illustrated" Spaniard.

Between 1820 and 1823 he played an important role in Spanish liberal politics, abolishing the Inquisition, albeit the Inquisition was restored again after the invasion of Spain by European troops (England, France, Austria, Russia) in 1823 to restore absolutist policies.

He was made a Knight of the Golden Fleece on 9 July 1820. He died aged 45, a few weeks before the absolutist European consortium of troops invaded Spain again, and some fifteen years after Napoleon's invasion in May 1808.